2019 Map of Mud Lake

About this map

The Gulf of Mexico dominates the southern reaches of this coastal landscape where the Texas shoreline meets the marshy transitions of Jefferson, Chambers, and Galveston counties. This environment is defined by its complex hydrology, centered on the expansive Mud Lake and the arterial Intracoastal Waterway, which cuts through the low-lying terrain to support regional maritime transit. Further inland, the drainage pattern is shaped by Mud Bayou and the North Prong Mud Bayou, snaking through wetlands that have historically challenged infrastructure. A prominent remnant of early coastal transit is visible in Old Hwy 87, tracing a route near the water's edge. The map captures a largely uninhabited interface of land and sea, where the vast saltwater expanse meets the delicate freshwater bayou systems of the Texas coast.